Most tax-exempt agencies must file 990 forms with the IRS annually. If they fail to do so the IRS can revoke their status as tax exempt — and do away with your ability to deduct a gift.

Donors can go to www.IRS.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Exempt-Organizations-Select-Check to search for the status of an organization.

But Benedict notes the online information can lag behind. If your charity doesn’t appear online or shows up as non-exempt, try calling the IRS at 1-877-829-5500 for the most up-to-date information.

It makes sense to double check charities yearly, as a status can change.

3. Get documentation.

It goes without saying a charity or non-profit should offer a receipt for your contribution. If a group won’t give you a receipt, that should raise a red flag.

Benedict suggests also keeping the canceled check or the image of it your bank provides. Credit card users should hold onto their statements.

With donations of property, he would recommend going a step further. Before going to Goodwill, it’s a good idea to make a list of your offerings and keeping that with the receipt.

People who give property instead of cash also want to consult a tax adviser, Benedict says, because the IRS requirements for deducting those are more onerous.

4. Hold charities accountable.

To make sure an organization is truly doing good work with the money you give, it’s important to vet that group.

The Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance can offer insight on whether a charity or nonprofit is on the up and up. The online site summarizes the charity’s financial information, using charts to show how the budget is divvied up.

The Better Business Bureau offers ratings and will explain how and why it came up with results.

Charity Navigator also provides free evaluations.

Most organizations not listed on sites like these are required to give their 990 forms to anyone who asks. Churches and other religious houses of worship aren’t required to file 990s with the IRS but often have the information available to curious donors.

An organization that won’t release those details is one people should think twice about supporting, Benedict says.

5. Look at the numbers.

It can vary but the rule of thumb is a charity should spend at least 65 percent of its donations on programs that help the people or other causes it is set up to serve.

Less money should go to administration, fundraising and other uses.

Focus on those percentages and be careful comparing the raw numbers, Benedict cautions. Some groups — the YMCA, for example — have high overhead and therefore pay more for buildings and their contents than, say, a food pantry.